Cocktail Molotov

Diane Kurys made some good films in the 70's and 80's, but this isn't one of them. It's five years after the events of Diabolo-menthe, Kurys's first film, and Anne is about 18. She wants to get away from her devouring mother and live the life of a kibbutznik in Israel. It's the spring of 1968 and France is in chaos from the student uprisings, which she only half-supports.

Anne and her two school pals get only as far as Northern Italy, where their car is stolen. Short of cash, they must get back home to Paris, where another reality awaits her--she's pregnant. Simple story, no great interest in the telling of it. Elise Caron, who plays Anne, has a strong resemblance to Brian Jones, and she's not much of an actress. Francois Cluzet is very good as the smarter one of her pals. If you want a good Kurys film, try Coup de foudre or the really superb La Baule-les-Pins, which has one of Nathalie Baye's best performances.

I think it was one of Diane Kurys first long features actually a second feature after Diabolo Menthe and was definitely François Cluzet's first appearance as an actor on screen

• The storyline vaguely connected to 1968 and teenage angst and society changing and there is the theme of teenage pregnancy therein too but it is really a buddy&road movie
• To think that this is a second film is really jaw-droppingly good Kurys goes on to make many good films later on
• But here we have everything the teenagers a bit dodgy to have a 25-year-old actor as a teen but then you have to work with who is around; also to me the problem is to try and make 1980 look like 1968 that is quite difficult
• What is captured perfectly here is the teen angst also in many ways showing different sides of the 1968 student uprisings there is even a nice look at one of the CRS recounting what it felt like for them to be there and how they were used as instruments of the State that was quite poignant too
• The way in which the three friends interact is really well done and of course it shows what a presence and a great actor Cluzet was and is to this day
• It is quasi impossible to find this film nowadays there are no DVDs I know of all I could find was a ripped copy of a VHS US issue online I do love to watch a film that way but really this ought to be put out again as it is a nice piece of social history and also a really sweet feeling film nothing really happens in the end The only big item in the story really is the pregnancy; but personally as someone who remembers those times I think it has been extremely well captured. Highly recommended viewing although good luck trying to find it.